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Jang-e-Azadi memorial: Punjab vigilance asks managing committee to submit project records
The Punjab vigilance bureau has written to Jang-e-Azadi memorial’s managing committee asking to submit all the records pertaining to execution of the entire project.
The vigilance bureau (VB) has written to Jang-e-Azadi memorial’s managing committee asking to submit all the records pertaining to execution of the entire project.
On Thursday, the sleuths of VB visited the memorial site in Kartarpur, 18-km from district headquarters, and conducted field verification of the work done by the public works department then.
It may be mentioned that it was the second visit of the VB team to the memorial since it started a probe into allegations of alleged misuse of funds during its construction. One of the officials privy to the investigation said XEN of public works department was summoned on the spot. “The record including drawings and other documents available with PWD officials were cross-checked,” an official said. He added that all the record pertaining to acquiring land for the project to detail project reports, financial details and final execution details of phase I and II were kept in the memorial’s record room.
“Since deputy commissioner is the chief operating officer, his office informed that all the record related to the project is kept at the site only. Therefore, we have written to the committee to provide all the record at the earliest,” an official said.
Meanwhile, the VB has also summoned Ludhiana-based contractor Deepak involved in the construction process to appear before it on March 21. VB SSP Rajeshwar Singh Sidhu and investigation officer DSP Jatinderjit Singh could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
Sprawled in 25 acres of land, the mega project was one of the dream projects of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal as the first phase was opened for public in 2016. Even former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh provided all financial assistance and other logistics to complete the second phase of the project in 2018. Dedicated to heroes of freedom struggle, the total estimated cost was ₹315 crore.
